Newsletter No. 8

Issue 7, May 2023

Our incredible Fourth and Fifth Graders performed "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Northern Stage after working with the Bridge Up Teaching Artists for seven weeks.

Mark Your Calendars!

5/22- K-2 Field Trip to Pentangle

5/24- Pre K Field Trip to Round Robin Farm

6/1- 5th Grade Trip to State House

6/3- PTO Yard Sale 9-1, Live Music 11:30-12:30

6/6- Farm and Field Day

6/8- Preschool Graduation

6/8- Spring Concert (rescheduled)

6/13- Step Up Day

6/15- Sixth Grade Graduation

6/19- Bike Day

Letter from Principal Haley

Families and Community Members,

Assessments have been the name of the game over the past several weeks. I want to thank everyone for supporting our students as they dig deep and work to show us what they know. I have been able to proctor a few test sessions and I can tell you that your children are definitely being challenged! The state test known as the VTCAP is brand new to us and we are certainly learning a few lessons along the way.

Our recent Restorative Communication night was a success! Although the attendance was small due to many other obligations, those who did attend gave positive feedback and found the conversation and information useful. We will look to host similar events in the future.

This is a busy time of year for field trips and special events. Please pay close attention to our calendar on the Sharon Elementary website to stay up to date on what is happening.

We had a wonderful visit from musical artists Morgan Toney and Keith Mullins. The duo graced us with music from their beloved Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Morgan Toney is from the Wagmatook First Nations People. He has blended the musical styles of Mi'kmaq and Celtic music to create, what he calls, “Mi’kmaltic”. Keith Mullins is a singer-songwriter who has performed all over the world. Together they have a unique sound that mixes many genres of music to create a dynamic musical experience for our listening ears! What a treat it was to have them at Sharon Elementary!

June 3rd is going to be a great day to set aside to come together as a community. The PTO will host the third annual Community Yard Sale and Makers Market from 9 AM-1 PM. Come on down to browse and support our local vendors! Richie Hackett will perform live music from 11:30-12:30.

I want to thank the many families that showed appreciation for our teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week! I can’t stress enough how lucky we are to have the teachers that we do have here at Sharon. They all strive to make learning meaningful, fun, and relevant. I appreciate all of them, and all the staff that makes up our wonderful school.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, celebrations, or concerns that you may have.

Respectfully,

Keenan Haley

Staff Spotlight

Each month, we will be highlighting a different staff member with a Q&A session. This month, we are featuring Erin Crowley, a paraprofessional in our Kindergarten classroom. In addition to working at SES, Erin is a budding businesswoman. She will be leaving us at the end of the school year to focus on her clothing boutique in West Lebanon! You can also find her at the PTO yard sale on June 3rd!

How long have you worked at SES?

Six Years

What is your favorite thing about working at SES?

Obviously the kindergarteners!! :) All of the other kiddos and staff are pretty great too!

What do you do to take care of yourself?

I wake up every morning before everyone else in my house. First I let the dogs out, then comes coffee and next, I try to get 30-45 minutes of quiet time to myself or a workout. It just starts my day off right.

What brings you joy?

Being home with my family but I also really love doing anything that has to do with my boutique, it is all just really fun!

What do you want people to know about your job?

That every day is like a surprise, you just never know what you are going to get! Also, kids are hilarious!

What is one fun fact about you?

I LOVE the color pink and well, pink is a fun color so that’s fun! :)

Mindfully Yours

Want to create some structure for your summer? Help your kids make their own summer bucket lists. It's a wonderful way to bring closure and channel their creative energy as the end of the school year draws closer. It helps them set short-term goals and it provides conversation on what they'd like their summer to look like.

Some overall categories to consider when guiding your children in crafting their bucket lists include:

family/friends I want to see

places I’d like to visit

books I want to read

things I want to make

ways I can help at home/others

things/skills I want to learn

games I want to play

walks I want to take

places I’d like to swim/fish

Choose 1 thing from a few categories or choose 1 category and list a few things. Make the list achievable by not having too many activities, so there is success! You can always add things later if they meet all the goals. Kids can use this printable summer bucket list template or create their own! Put out the paper, crayons, and craft supplies and see what they come up with! Plan for an end-of-summer mini-celebration (for example, do an ice cream sundae bar, evening swim at Silver Lake, or backyard picnic, etc) once they've completed their list.

The students who are participating in the Finding Our Stride running program are sponsoring a Food Drive to benefit the Sharon Food Shelf. Please bring in your non-perishables during the week of June 5-9th. All donations will be delivered to the Sharon Food Shelf by our student runners!

Now is the time of year when Ms. Hop starts asking for all of the library books. For the next few weeks, students will only be able to check one book out at a time. Once we get all the books back, we will start the process of sending out books for Summer Loan. There will be more information coming soon...in the meantime please help your child remember to bring all their library books back to school. Thank you